Every beekeeper needs some protection from bees because, you know, bee stings hurt. A bee suit is responsible for keeping the bee’s stinger away from the skin of the beekeeper and is considered an essential piece of equipment, so it makes our list of 5 things every beekeeper needs.
Beekeeping suits come in a wide variety of options, and it can be confusing to make sense of which one is the best beekeeping suit and which ones are overpriced or not safe.
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What You Want In A Bee Suit
Most people who want to buy a bee suit have to buy them online and go off terrible photos or an awful size chart. We can help guide you in the right direction so you buy a beekeeping suit that fits your needs.
We have many other guides available, including a very in-depth dive into the beekeeping equipment needed to get started.
At the most basic level, a bee suit should protect the beekeeper from being stung and should fit comfortably while using it. You would think these two basic requirements would be easy to find when looking for a bee suit for sale, but it isn’t.
Moving In A Bee Suit
When wearing the bee suit, it’s essential to have full mobility in the suit. A beekeeper will be bending over, lifting, reaching, and moving all around their hives with their suit on. They want total protection when doing this, as well as the freedom to move. The two areas you don’t want the bee suit to be tight in are the crotch and the shoulders. If these too spots are too tight to move, it’s not the right size.
Because of this, most beekeepers tend to order an extra size to be safe. But because all bee suits are not made the same, this can be a problem.
Prevent Bee Stings
A bee suit will offer the best protection from bee stings compared to other types of protective gear. But they aren’t always sting proof. The material and quality of the design will dictate if the suit is sting proof or not, and low-quality suits are typically made with poor stitching and very thin fabric.
Thin fabric and ill-fitting bee suits can tear or become very tight on your body. The closer the fabric is to the body, the easier it is for the bee to sting through it. Single-layer full bee suits are not sting proof as bee stings can still penetrate through the fabric easily.
There is something called GSM in fabric, which refers to how dense the fabric is. Low-quality suits have a very low GSM, around 100. High-quality suits will have a GSM of 160 or more.
Most manufacturers don’t tell you what is being used, but if the bee suit is very inexpensive, you will get what you pay for. Usually, the less information provided about a bee suit in the description, the more red flags you should see.
Types of beekeeping Suits
All bee suits should come with a veil and enough fabric to cover the head, body, arms, and legs. The only parts a bee suit would leave uncovered would be the hands and the feet. Most of the veils that come on the suit are attached with a zipper and can be removed.
A non-removable veil is one sign of a low-quality bee suit. A beekeeper suit will typically be made from cotton, polyester, nylon, or a ventilated material. These can split into a non-ventilated and a ventilated option.
Cotton/Polyester/Nylon Beekeeping Suit
Beekeeper suits made from these materials are typically the most affordable and commonly available. Amazon is full of these bee suits, and the quality of these is shocking. You would think companies would care more about their product and sell something to protect people from stings.
These single-layer fabrics can range in quality from very thin to thick, like canvas. Bees can still sting through the fabric, so the thicker the fabric, the safer a beekeeper will be from stings. Humble Bee and Natural Apiary are two brands that have been making these suits for several years and are popular mid-tier full suits.
These and all single-layer bee suits have a major downside. They are very hot, and when a beekeeper gets hot, they sweat. The fabric will get wet from the sweat and start sticking to your skin or already soaked shirt. When the fabric gets weight, it becomes easier for the bee to sting through the suit. Because of this, you don’t see many beekeepers wearing these suits. It’s hard to stay cool, and the risk of heat stroke or dehydration increases.
When wearing one of these suits, the beekeeper typically wears a shirt and long pants to add an extra layer of protection from stings. But adds to the heat and sweat.
Fully Ventilated Beekeeping Suits
These suits have become popular over the years with both beginner and professional beekeepers. These suits provide good protection from bee stings, and the best ventilated bee suits are practically sting-free.
A ventilated suit allows air to move through the fabric, cooling the beekeeper. The material is a thick layer of mesh or multiple layers of mesh that is too thick for a bee sting to penetrate but still allows air through. One of the best things about ventilated suits is they can be worn without a shirt or long pants. This is a huge plus when it’s extremely hot outside, and you have a lot of work to do in the bee yard.
A couple of types of ventilated are used in ventilated bee suits. We have used all of them, and there are significant differences among them.
3-Layer Ventilated Mesh
This material is the best of the best for ventilated bee suits. It has three layers of different types of mesh that together are about 5mm thick. This is almost twice the thickness of a bee’s stinger, so they are practically sting proof. There are different types of mesh, and their quality of them is hard to discern from a picture. We have the image of the fabric here for you to see. But again, you get what you pay for in a bee suit so if it is a full bee suit and less than $100, be weary of it.
Foam Air Mesh or 3d mesh
This was the first material we used in a ventilated bee suit, and it does a fine job at protecting a beekeeper from bee stings. But the material is not durable and would only last a beekeeper for a year or two. The suit we wore ripped within the first year, while the 3 layer-vented bee suits have been used for several years and still work great.
This material is often advertised as a lightweight option, which is true. They are lighter than the three layer option, but they feel cheap. Another negative that we found with this material isn’t very comfortable. We tried wearing this material without a shirt to help stay cool, and the foam was irritating to the skin.
Beekeeping Suit Colors
Traditionally, beekeepers wear white-colored clothing when working with their bees. The suits are white, the gloves are white, and even the hives are white. The general advice is that bees do not like dark colors. Presumably, because bear fur is dark and bees and bears, well, let’s say, have a complicated history.
In reality, we have found that using other colors with bee suits has yet to make that much of a difference. The only difference we have found is that a darker suit could get hotter from the sun’s rays. But even that isn’t noticed much. What we have noticed with the dark-colored suit is that they don’t show dirt very much.
Our white suits and jackets get very dirty after a year and must be washed. Our olive green suit looks great, and you don’t see dirt on it. So go ahead and get a bee suit or jacket that is a different color than white if you want to; the bees don’t mind.
Features That Make The Best Bee Suit
Large Pull Rings and YKK Zippers – Make it easy to zip open and close
High-Quality Veil – This is hard to tell from pictures but a high-quality veil is worth paying for as it is durable and easy to see through. Cheap suit = cheap veil
Triple Layer Fabric – Most durable, coolest, and most comfortable suit
Plenty of Pockets – It’s better to put your keys in a pocket than set them down (trust us)
Overlapping Zippers – If you want a truly sting proof suit, you want the chest and veil zippers to overlap.
Easy Open Veil – It’s handy to have a veil that opens in the front for a quick drink.
Extra Long Leg Zipper – It is soooo much easier to put a suit on when you don’t have to take off your shoes.
High-Quality Velcro and Elastic – Cheap velcro and elastic bands don’t last long and create a place for bees to get in.
Sting Stopper Beekeeping Suits
These suits are truly the best beekeeping suit on the market. We are proud to have these suits and use them in our apiary. We have been selling suits for years, and they have gone through several updates, each time adjusting the fit and adding features.
These suits are so great; they have their trademark and business. The Sting Stopper brand makes a full line of protective gear, including jackets, gloves, suits, and more. The features that we are listing above are all included in our suits. It may sound like we are just promoting the features of our suits. We are, but that is because we have put the right features in our suits after compiling customer feedback for years.
We aren’t promoting our suits because we sell them; we promote them because they are the best beekeeping suits on the market, and we worked hard to make them that way.
We have built many little features into the suits that most companies don’t think about, and we are working hard to innovate with smart designs that fit the beekeeper’s needs. We have had great reviews for years on our suits, and we are very proud to have them available.
We have a retail store in Birmingham that you can shop at and try on the suits. If you can’t come to our store, you can use our smart sizing chart, where you enter your body dimensions, and it will recommend a size for you based on your dimensions and how loose or tight you want the suit to fit you.
Features That Are Red Flags
Poor Pictures – This shows the company doesn’t pay attention to details.
Size Chart – Needs to be accurate and helpful; if not, avoid buying.
Permanent Veil – If the veil doesn’t zip off, the suit is made cheap.
Comes In A Kit – A suit included in a kit with tools, hives, etc… is trying to add perceived value at a cheap price.
Generic Company – If the company can only be found on Amazon and there is not business/website associated with it, avoid it.
American Flag- This sounds strange, but many bee suit companies put an American flag on it to make it seem like it is made in the USA. But they aren’t, and they often say “Made For Americans” in little letters beside it… How lame is that?
Photoshopped – If the company selling it has photoshopped a model into the suit, it shows that they aren’t actual beekeepers and don’t understand what’s important.
Carrying Bag – If the product makes a big deal about the carrying bag, they are trying to distract buyers away from a low-quality suit.
Not an American Company – When the bee suit is sold from another country, it is typically just a quick, cheap sale, and the company isn’t trying to earn future business.
FAQ About Buying Beekeeping Suits
Do Beekeeping Suits Work?
When worn correctly, a beekeeping suit is your best option for preventing stings from honey bees, wasps, hornets and mosquitos. Buying a high quality bee suit will significantly reduce the chance of being stung.
Is a beekeeping suit necessary?
You don’t have to wear a full beekeeping suit. You can wear a jacket or even just a veil. A jacket with the veil is what most beekeepers use and simply wear a pair of pants or jeans with it.
What is the best bee keeping suit?
By far, the best beekeeping suit on the market is the Sting Stopper Beekeeping Suit
How Do I choose a beekeeping suit?
Since most beekeeping suits are bought online, you have to use your shopping skills to find the suit that is right for you. You want to buy from a legitimate company with great pictures of the suit and a helpful size chart.
How Much is a Good Bee Suit?
Expect to pay around $140 or more for a quality beekeeping suit that will last you many years. A cheap suit will not last very long, and a beekeeper is more likely to be stung in a cheap suit.
What is the best material for a beekeeping suit?
A quality cotton suit or a 3 layer ventilated suit is the most popular and offers the best material. The cotton suit must have a thick cotton fabric for it to protect well and be durable.
